Q 01/05

What kind of animal is a koala?

A) A bear

B) A rodent

C) A primate

D) A marsupial

Answer · why

D) A marsupial

'Koala bear' is a misnomer: it is a pouched mammal whose closest living relatives are wombats.

Q 02/05

Which animals are the koala's closest living relatives?

A) Wombats

B) Kangaroos

C) Possums

D) Sloths

Answer · why

A) Wombats

Both belong to the suborder Vombatiformes; kangaroos and possums are in a sister group.

Q 03/05

Roughly how many hours a day does a koala sleep?

A) 8

B) 12

C) 20

D) 16

Answer · why

C) 20

The eucalyptus diet is so poor in energy that sleeping is the only way to balance the books.

Q 04/05

The word 'koala' comes from the Dharug word 'gula', meaning what?

A) No water

B) Tree climber

C) Sleepy one

D) Grey bear

Answer · why

A) No water

Koalas rarely need to drink because they get most of their moisture from leaves.

Q 05/05

The koala's genus name Phascolarctos combines the Greek words for 'pouch' and what?

A) Bear

B) Tree

C) Grey

D) Sleep

Answer · why

A) Bear

So even the scientists called it a pouched bear; the species name cinereus is Latin for 'ash-coloured'.